Placement of a surgical needle or catheter like device in the blood vessel for therapeutic or diagnostic purpose is a widely used method in the medical practice. Once the needle or catheter is emplaced in the blood vessel, it requires to be kept in place for a duration of the therapeutic or diagnostic procedure which may take a few minutes or several hours to a few days. Keeping the same needle or catheter in the same blood vessel properly secured for any length of time is by no means an easy task. The main problem with a needle or catheter is the ease with which they get displaced with slightest movement causing interruption of the procedure or even injury to the patient. There are several reasons for the displacement. First, the needle or the catheter requires insertion in the most mobile parts of the body, such as the hands or arms. Second, all the securing devices designed so far rely heavily on adhesive tape systems. Third, the tape systems can become non adherent easily, depending upon the method they are fastened, the amount of tape used, the body temperature, skin moisture and mobility of the part of the body they are fastened.
Administration of chemotherapy drugs through a needle or catheter inserted into a vein is one of the most widely used therapeutic approach in the treatment of the cancer patients. Proper securement and stabilization of the needle or catheter is of paramount importance in this situation because chemotherapy drugs are highly vesicant. If they extravasate into the skin as a result of displacement of needle or catheter considerable injury and morbidity to the patient may result.
Existing methods of improving the securement of the needle or catheter are still inadequate and techniques for improving are still sought after and still being proposed.